untameddauntless wrote:I really enjoyed reading this book as it talks about the people who tried their best to make the world we have now a better place to live in and how they sacrificed their lives for their loved ones.

This book is too beautiful to read, it is breathtaking and heartbreaking. It has its own 'touch' in it that makes it more interesting than the any other books about wars. This is a remarkable piece of work that should truly inspire everyone. This book makes me like as if I was part of the story, I can feel that the characters are so alive. There are such vivid details that'll just make you wonder "how did it all happened?" "Where did the author got all this piece together?"

I would definitely recommend this book to others who haven't read it yet. This book is golden and ugh, too beautiful and heartbreaking but still these people are so brave that they deserve a lot better. 4/4 star!!!!

What a beautiful way to express how wonderful this book is. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

I really enjoyed this book! I was very pleased with all the research Steve Snyder did, and the way he shared it--there is a LOT of necessary information, but not done to the extent that it made the book too long. And I liked that the story told about the whole crew as well as Snyder's father. Thanks for a wonderful read!

I just finished the ebook and really liked it. It was an impressive read and the author managed to capture the feel of the time period perfectly. The book started out a bit slow, with too many technological details and some repetitions of facts, but later on it picked up the pace. Overall I found the story very compelling, especially after the Susan Ruth was shot down. My favorites parts were the letters and journal entries which added a personal touch to the account. It is evident the book was well-researched and the historical and biographical details were balanced well. The book doesn't leave you indifferent; it tugs at your heartstrings and at the same time makes your heart grow three sizes. I salute the servicemen for their bravery and contributions, and the author for bringing their story to light. It is an important, thought-provoking book and highly recommended! I rated it 4 stars.

In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." (Mortimer J. Adler)

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel; 4 out of 4 stars! I love how the first hand accounts really brings history to life. The way this novel was written is honestly something I have never seen done before, but I think it should be done more often. While I recognize that it would be impractical to teach history in this kind of format, I think students would benefit greatly if history was covered this way even once. It is just so much more captivating this way, and I think students would simply be more interested in learning it. I think everyone should read this novel. I swear I learned more about WWII in the last two days than I did in every history class I ever took combined.

"Yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it you can either run from it, or learn from it."- Rafiki

I finished the book a few days ago. It is simply one of the best books about WWII I have ever read. However, my experience with the book was emotional. I cried a few times while reading it. It made me realize a lot of things. First of all, I realized how really sad, ugly and horrible war is. I have always known that, but reading the book made it sink in. Second, there are several ways soldiers and civilians can die during the war. Third, no matter how much we try to commemorate and honor fallen soldiers for their sacrifices, it will never be enough. Finally, I realized how lucky I am to be born after the war. I would like to commend the author for writing in such a way that a civilian could understand. The storytelling was so smooth. The descriptions were vivid that it felt like you were actually there. I also appreciate his explaining some military terms and his including the etymology of unfamiliar words (eg. flak). Obviously, he spent a lot of time researching for this book and I am thankful for the extra information I have learned from reading it especially those about Belgium. I give it the rate of 4 out of 4 stars and even higher if that is possible.

Just part way through this book and I'm already gushing about it to friends and relatives, it is not one of my usual genres (I'm primarily a sci fi/ fantasy/ thriller reader, will dip into other genres but tend to steer clear of biography/autobiography and non fiction) but I've found this book so interesting and heartbreaking, very hard to put down and get on with everyday life. As I said I'm only a short way through but I already feel like this is a special book, one that stays with you and changes you, when I think of war I think of the facts I was taught at school, some of the fictional novels I have read and the poetry, but this work goes further it brings WWII to life, the letter extracts give such a personal touch and the information about daily life, training and technical aspects of being aboard a b-17 are fascinating. I had originally bought the text on kindle but thanks to a shotdown member post about pictures (on this forum) I have now bought the hardback version too, but don't think I can wait until it comes to finish the journey.

ok so I am a bit like Insomniac, I am not into non-fiction but my friend had asked me to read this book and wanted my opinion on it and i ended up finishing this book in a few days. If I don't like a book it can take a few months for me to read!

Having the personal letters between the crew of the Susan Ruth and their loved ones back home brought the story to life and just shows how much research went into this book. Truly fabulous!

I just finished this book last night. It's clear that that the book was meticulously researched and I learned so much about WWII. It was fascinating to discover how organized the Resistance and underground were. The local townspeople were so courageous to hide and protect these men. I will admit that the first half of the story felt a little like a history textbook, with detailed information about military training, the war, and bombing missions. I am glad I stuck with the book because the second half, after Howard Snyder and his crew's plane got shot down, was very absorbing. The descriptions were so vivid that I had to reorient myself to the present after reading.

The photos and letters really added a personal feel to the story. It was heartbreaking to read a few of the wives and mothers' hopeful letters toward the end, since I already knew which men didn't survive. I would have liked more letters and entries in the first half to break up the textbook-style historical info. Although the general background info about the war was interesting, it slowed the pace of the story.

Overall I enjoyed this story and have so much respect for the French and Belgium people who protected the Allied forces, and for the brave Americans who fought in WWII, like Howard and his crew. What the crew of the Susan Ruth went through really made WWII come alive to me.

As you slide down the bannister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction. - Irish blessing

bookowlie wrote:I just finished this book last night. It's clear that that the book was meticulously researched and I learned so much about WWII. It was fascinating to discover how organized the Resistance and underground were. The local townspeople were so courageous to hide and protect these men. I will admit that the first half of the story felt a little like a history textbook, with detailed information about military training, the war, and bombing missions. I am glad I stuck with the book because the second half, after Howard Snyder and his crew's plane got shot down, was very absorbing. The descriptions were so vivid that I had to reorient myself to the present after reading.

The photos and letters really added a personal feel to the story. It was heartbreaking to read a few of the wives and mothers' hopeful letters toward the end, since I already knew which men didn't survive. I would have liked more letters and entries in the first half to break up the textbook-style historical info. Although the general background info about the war was interesting, it slowed the pace of the story.

Overall I enjoyed this story and have so much respect for the French and Belgium people who protected the Allied forces, and for the brave Americans who fought in WWII, like Howard and his crew. What the crew of the Susan Ruth went through really made WWII come alive to me.

I agree, and I also found the first part a bit slow. A worthy book in my view and interesting read. I am glad you enjoyed it overall.

In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." (Mortimer J. Adler)

I want to thank everyone for the wonderful compliments about my book, SHOT DOWN. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate them.

I particularly relish the positive comments made by people who are not into non-fiction and/or war books. When I wrote my SHOT DOWN, I definitely wanted it to appeal to history and World War buffs (hence a lot of technical information in the first half of the book), but I did not want it to be just a war book for guys. I wanted it to appeal to the general public; to people who had little knowledge and/or little interest in the war. I wanted it to be a story about people and the human spirit that would appeal to women as well.

So it really is two types of books in one. Although the story of the B-17 Susan Ruth crew is completely factual and based on first-hand testimony by the people who were involved in the events that took place, it almost reads like a novel. What I added to the story was a lot of history information and anecdotes about and surrounding the war to put it in context and add background. That part read like a history book.

Therefore, the opinions about SHOT DOWN are very insightful and right on the mark. They are what I was trying to achieve, and it is so very gratifying to read that you feel I was successful.

ShotDown wrote:I want to thank everyone for the wonderful compliments about my book, SHOT DOWN. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate them.

I particularly relish the positive comments made by people who are not into non-fiction and/or war books. When I wrote my SHOT DOWN, I definitely wanted it to appeal to history and World War buffs (hence a lot of technical information in the first half of the book), but I did not want it to be just a war book for guys. I wanted it to appeal to the general public; to people who had little knowledge and/or little interest in the war. I wanted it to be a story about people and the human spirit that would appeal to women as well.

So it really is two types of books in one. Although the story of the B-17 Susan Ruth crew is completely factual and based on first-hand testimony by the people who were involved in the events that took place, it almost reads like a novel. What I added to the story was a lot of history information and anecdotes about and surrounding the war to put it in context and add background. That part read like a history book.

Therefore, the opinions about SHOT DOWN are very insightful and right on the mark. They are what I was trying to achieve, and it is so very gratifying to read that you feel I was successful.

THANK YOU!

Steve Snyder

Thank you for your answer. I am not into non-fiction as well, but I still enjoyed your book.

In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." (Mortimer J. Adler)